Solomon Chamberlain, 1788-1862

Autobiography (1788-1850)

Holograph, HBLL

AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF SOLOMON CHAMBERLAIN

[This account was written by Solomon Chamberlain at Beaver
City, Utah, July 11, 1858.] I was born July 30th, 1788, of
goodly parents in Old Canaan, Connecticut. My father's name was
Joel Chamberlin [Chamberlain], born in Tolland, Connecticut.
Sarah Dean, his wife, born in same state. By her he had six
sons and three daughters. When I was about 20 years old, which
would be about the year 1808, I went to the house of Philip
Haskins and took one of his daughters to wife, by the name of
Hopee [Hope] Haskins, of goodly parents. By her I had one son,
and two daughters.

My father was an honest, hard-working man, a farmer by
trade, and earned his bread by the sweat of his brow, and
accumulated considerable property, and died when I was about 8
years old, and my mother died about 10 years after. What little
property I received from my father's estate did me little or no
good, and I began the world like my father, earned my bread by
the sweat of my face. I soon learned the cooper's trade and
worked the most of my days at that. From the time my father
died, till I was 19 years of age I lived a very wicked life.
About that time, I had a vision of hell, and which alarmed me
very much, and I reformed and had another of three heavens, and
their glories, and the third one, far exceeded the others. My
visions so alarmed me, I was in sorrow and repentance for many
days, on account of my sins, I thought I would give all the
world if I could find a man that could tell me what I should do
to be saved. I sought much, but could find none. I thought I
would go to the Presbyterian Minister and enquire of him, I
accordingly went, and asked him what I should do to be saved, he
appeared like a man astonished, he said I must wait the Lord's
due time, and in His own due time he would bring me in. As all
others had failed I thought I would go to God and plead for
mercy, and if I went to hell, I would go praying, and I cried
unto the Lord night and day, for the forgiveness of my sins.
Like Enos of old, till at length the Lord said, "Solomon, thy
sins are forgiven thee. Go in peace and sin no more." My heart
then leaped for joy unspeakable, I now joined the Methodist
Order, and thought they were the rightest of any on the earth.

About the year 1814 or 1815, the Reformed Methodists broke
off from the Episcopal Methodists. I was in hope that they were
right. [This last sentence was crossed out in the original
manuscript.] I found them to be more right than the Episcopal,
and joined them. About this time the Lord showed me in a
vision, that there were no people on the earth that were right,
and that faith was gone from the earth, excepting a few and that
all churches were corrupt. I further saw in vision, that he
would soon raise up a church, that would be after the Apostolic
Order, that there would be in it the same powers, and gifts that
were in the days of Christ, and that I should live to see the
day, and that there would a book come forth, like unto the Bible
and the people would [be] guided by it, as well as the Bible.
This was in the year of 1816. I then believed in gifts and
miracles as the Latter-day Saints do, for which I was much
persecuted and called deluded. This vision I received from an
angel or spirit from the eternal world that told me these
things.

About the time that Joseph Smith found the gold record, I
began to feel that the time was drawing near, that the Lord
would in some shape or other, bring forth his church. I made
some inquiry through the country where I traveled if there was
any strange work of God, such as had not been on the earth since
the days of Christ. I could hear of none. I was living about
20 miles east of where the gold record was found, on the Erie
Canal. I had occasion to go on a visit into Upper Canada. I
took boat for Lockport, when the boat came to Palmyra, I felt as
if some genie or good spirit told me to leave the boat. This
was a few miles from where the record was found. After leaving
the boat, the spirit manifested to me, to travel a south course.
I did so for about 3 miles. I had not as yet heard of the Gold
Bible (so called) [Book of Mormon] nor any of the [Joseph] Smith
family. I was a stranger in that part of the country, a town
where I never before had set my foot, and knew no one in the
town.

It was now about sundown, and my guide directed me to put
up for the night, which I did to a farm house. In the morning,
the people of the house asked me if I had heard of the Gold
Bible [Book of Mormon]. When they said Gold Bible, there was a
power like electricity went from the top of my head to the end
of my toes. This was the first time I ever heard of the Gold
Bible. I was now within half a mile of the Smith family where
Joseph lived. From the time I left the boat until now, I was
wholly led by the Spirit or my genie. The women spoke
considerable of the Gold Bible that Joseph Smith had found.
When she mentioned Gold Bible, I felt a shock of the power of
God go from head to foot. I said to myself, "I shall soon find
why I have been led in this singular manner."

I soon made my way across lots, to Father Smith's and found
Hyrum walking the floor. As I entered the door, I said, "Peace
be to this house." He looked at me as one astonished, and said,
"I hope it will be peace." I then said, "Is there anyone here
that believes in visions or revelations?" He said, "Yes, we are
a visionary house." I said, "Then I will give you one of my
pamphlets, which was visionary, and of my own experience." They
then called the people together, which consisted of five or six
men who were out at the door. Father Smith was one and some of
the Whitmer's. They then sat down and read my pamphlet. Hyrum
read first, but was so affected he could not read it. He then
gave it to a man, which I learned was Christian Whitmer, he
finished reading it. I then opened my mouth and began to preach
to them, in the words that the angel had made known to me in the
vision, that all churches and denominations on the earth had
become corrupt, and no church of God on the earth, but that he
would shortly raise up a church that would never be confounded
nor brought down and be like unto the Apostolic Church. They
wondered greatly who had been telling me these things, for said
they we have the same things wrote [written] down in our house,
taken from the Gold record, that you are preaching to us. I
said, "The Lord told me these things a number of years ago." I
then said, "If you are a visionary house, I wish you would make
known some of your discoveries, for I think I can bear them."
They then made known to me that they had obtained a gold record,
and just finished translating it here. Now, the Lord revealed
to me by the gift and power of the Holy Ghost that this was the
work I had been looking for.

Here I stayed 2 days and they instructed me, in the
manuscripts of the Book of Mormon. After I had been here two
days, I went with Hyrum and some others to Palmyra printing
office where they began to print the Book of Mormon, and as soon
as they had printed 64 pages, I took them with their leave and
pursued my journey to Canada, and I preached all that I knew
concerning Mormonism, to all both high and low, rich and poor,
and thus you see this was the first that ever printed Mormonism
was preached to this generation.

I did not see anyone in traveling for 7 or 800 miles, that
had ever heard of the Gold Bible (so called). I exhorted all
people to prepare for the great work of God that was now about
to come forth, and it would never be brought down nor
confounded. As soon as the book was printed, I took 8 or 10 of
them and traveled for 8 days, and sold one in that time. About
this time I thought if I could see the Reformed Methodists I
could convince them of the truth of the Book of Mormon. I
accordingly went to one of their conferences, where I met about
40 of their preachers and labored with them for two days to
convince them of the truth of the Book of Mormon, and they
utterly rejected me and the Book of Mormon. One of their
greatest preachers so called, by the name of Buckly, (if a
mistake not) abused me very bad, and ordered me off from their
premises. He was soon taken crazy, and died a miserable death.
At this conference was Brigham and his brother Phineas Young.
They did not oppose me but used me well. On my way home I
stopped at their camp meeting, where I found one of their
greatest preachers, whom I contended with concerning the Book of
Mormon, by the name of William Lake, who utterly condemned it
and rejected it, who spurned at me and the Book and said, if it
was of God, do you think He would send such a little upstart as
you are around with it? But he soon after died a poor drunken
sot. While on my way home I stopped at a Free Will Baptist
Church, and preached to a large congregation, and they received
the work, but there was no one to baptize them.

The Church was not yet organized, but was soon after, April
6th, 1830. A few days after, I was baptized in the waters of
Seneca Lake, by Joseph Smith, (and) emigrated same spring to
Kirtland, Ohio, and in the fall of 1831, emigrated to Jackson
County, Missouri, and in the beginning of the winter of 1833,
was broken up by mobs, and driven out of the county and suffered
the loss of all things, with hundreds of my brethren and
sisters. (and) Settled again in Clay County and was there broke
up and suffered the loss of 3 houses and my plantation. (and)
Again settled in Caldwell County and was broke up and also in
Daviess County, and was driven out of the counties in the
coldest part of the winter and suffered the loss of all things.
And great was the suffering of the Saints while in Missouri,
that I was a witness to and many times had my life threatened,
and sometimes been knocked down, and some of my blood spilt
[spilled] by mobs. We were driven from the state of Missouri,
and settled in Illinois, at Nauvoo, where we remained in peace
for several years, and built a temple. On June 27, 1844, our
Prophet and Patriarch was murdered, and about the year 1846 we
were broken up and had to flee to the Rocky Mountains.

April 2, 1847--this day the Pioneers began to leave the
Council Bluffs or Winter Quarters for the valley of the lake to
make the road and hunt a place for the saints. I, being one of
them and was unwell when I started, I suffered much of cold and
hunger. When we got to Green River, I was taken sick with the
mountain fever, the second time, and got a little better, and
was taken down with the cholera, or cholera morbus, and was
brought to the point of death, and for 6 days and nights I took
nothing into my stomach but cold water, and that distressed me
much. The road was new and rough, and we continued to travel,
and it seemed I must die, and I longed for death, my fare was
coarse, and scant. When we got to the valley many of us were
out of provision, July 24th here we stayed about one month.
August 26 we started for Council Bluffs, for my outfit to go
back with, I had but 2 quarts of parch corn and 3 quarts of
coarse cornmeal. I was sick all the way back, and suffered
everything but death. Many times I had nothing to eat, and
sometimes I had a little poor buffalo bull meat. We returned
back to the Bluffs about the last of October, and found my
family well.

In the spring of 1848, I moved to the valley. I shall have
to omit many dates because of my negligence in recording them.
The wife of my youth died at Winter Quarters just before I
started to the valley with the Pioneers. I said, then all my
happiness as to the things of this world is gone, and so it has
proved to this time. I am now alone, except my little daughter
8 years old. I have endeavored to magnify my calling as well as
I knew how.

Somewhere about the year 1850, I thought I would go to
California, as gold digging was cried up very much, and get gold
to make myself and family comfortable, as I was in poor
circumstances. I accordingly went, the North route, and made my
stand this side of Sacramento, on Weber Creek. I went up this
creek about 5 miles, and began to dig for gold. I made one
dollar per day, board was one dollar per meal in this place.
This morning I found myself in the woods, and but one mule, to
help myself with. I now found if I stayed any longer, I should
have to sell my mule, and live on the proceeds thereof. As
digging was poor at this time, and the large streams were so
high, there could be no digging on them for a month or more. I
now thought I would ask the Lord what I should do, as I was now
alone, and far from home, I knelt down and asked the Lord in
faith what I should do, and the voice of the Lord came unto me
as plain as though a man spake, and said, if you will go home to
your family, you shall go in peace, and nothing shall harm you.
I rose up and started with my one mule, and left all that I had,
a chest of clothes, and my rifle, in a store and said nothing to
no man where I was going. I took the Lord at his word and put
myself over the California mountains with no weapon but my
pocket knife. This year the Indians were more troublesome than
ever they were before or since. They were killing and being
killed every night. I put my trust in God, and in the power of
the priesthood, which carried me safe through, although I came
all the way alone, me and my one mule. So the Lord was as good
as his word in bringing me safe through.

I now will return back and speak of my ordinations. In the
spring of 1830, I was ordained a Priest, under the hands of
Hyrum Smith. I remained in that office about 10 years. I
magnified it to the best of my ability. I then was ordained an
Elder, and remained in that office until the first conference
after the death of Joseph, by the council of Brother Brigham
[Young] and under the hands of George Miller, I was ordained a
High Priest and still remain in that quorum and the faith and
confidence in the doctrine and principles of the Church are as
good as ever they were, and in all the authorities of God's
Kingdom, and am perfectly satisfied with all things as they roll
along. I feel as though my years were not many more in this
life, yet if I could live and be prepared to return to the land
of my inheritance in Jackson County, it would rejoice my heart.
I am endeavoring to live every day in a way that I am willing to
meet the Judge of all the earth at any time. May God bless all
that blesses the authorities of the Church of Christ and all
honest hearted Saints, and may God curse all that curses the
authorities of the Church of Christ and honest hearted Saints.
Even so, Amen.